03-25-2004, 08:12 PM
Scott,<br>
The "pad saddle" tested at Augsburg had a double girth, much like military mule riding saddles. This keeps the saddle well-anchored to the horse. The horse rider was a skilled hungarian stunt rider and attested with was a worthwhile design. This descign would make the saddle much less expensive, and guarantee a proper fit on every horse.<br>
<br>
There is no evidence for how the horns were sewn into the saddle, but all of the bronze horn plates I have seen only have small holes along the edges which suggest being sewn into the leather pad, with no trace of larger holes to anchor it to a wooden tree.<br>
<br>
The most easily obtainable book that shows the Valkenburg leather, horns and hypothetical wooden treeee, is Peter Connnolly's "Tiberius Claudius Maximus: The Cavalryman" from Oxford University Press. It also shows the points where both field equipment and decorative plates can be atached.<br>
<br>
Although Peter's saddle works, and I rode it (instead of my pad) during the limes ride, the square corners of the original Valkenburg leather more suggests being sewn flat on a thick felt pad, than tucked under a rigid tree.<br>
<br>
I will try to find my original prototype, and take a picture of it for RAT soon.<br>
<br>
Dan <p></p><i></i>
The "pad saddle" tested at Augsburg had a double girth, much like military mule riding saddles. This keeps the saddle well-anchored to the horse. The horse rider was a skilled hungarian stunt rider and attested with was a worthwhile design. This descign would make the saddle much less expensive, and guarantee a proper fit on every horse.<br>
<br>
There is no evidence for how the horns were sewn into the saddle, but all of the bronze horn plates I have seen only have small holes along the edges which suggest being sewn into the leather pad, with no trace of larger holes to anchor it to a wooden tree.<br>
<br>
The most easily obtainable book that shows the Valkenburg leather, horns and hypothetical wooden treeee, is Peter Connnolly's "Tiberius Claudius Maximus: The Cavalryman" from Oxford University Press. It also shows the points where both field equipment and decorative plates can be atached.<br>
<br>
Although Peter's saddle works, and I rode it (instead of my pad) during the limes ride, the square corners of the original Valkenburg leather more suggests being sewn flat on a thick felt pad, than tucked under a rigid tree.<br>
<br>
I will try to find my original prototype, and take a picture of it for RAT soon.<br>
<br>
Dan <p></p><i></i>